POTTSTOWN -- As intimidating as Coatesville’s Mike Boykin can be, the returning regional champ admitted it was he who fell victim to some nerves on Saturday night.

In the 220-pound final of the Class AAA Southeast Regional at Pottstown High, Boykin went up against Boyertown’s star freshman, Jordan Wood, whom many consider a future state champ.

The two traded takedowns, but it was Wood who had an extra escape to clinch a 4-3 victory. Boykin will return to the PIAA tournament at the Giant Center in Hershey, starting Thursday, along with Avon Grove’s Edgar Garcia (106 pounds), Shane Ruhnke (138) of Great Valley, Conestoga’s Logan Kerin (160) and Downingtown East’s Sean Snodgrass (285).

Garcia and Ruhnke reached the finals as well, but came up on the losing end. It marks the first time since 2006 that the Ches-Mont League had no regional champs. Boykin said his loss started before the first whistle.

Advertisement

“I’m upset at myself,” said Boykin, who lost for the first time in 41 bouts this season. “I beat myself before the match even started. All the hype about (Wood) beating me stuck with me and I never let it go.”

Against Wood, Boykin had a handful of takedown attempts he couldn’t finish against a younger, but more veteran, wrestler.

Earlier in the day Boykin won a thriller in the semifinals, taking Council Rock North’s Tyler Callender down with 20 seconds left in overtime for a 3-1 win. He’ll make his return trip in hopes of improving his 1-2 showing as a sophomore.

“I have to keep my head straight and try to attack more,” Boykin said.

Garcia found a familiar foe in the finals with Marple Newtown’s Jason Rinaldi, who had four career victories over the Red Devils junior coming in. He added a fifth by scoring the lone two points on a third-period reversal.

“Honestly, Jason is part of the reason why I made it,” Garcia said. “It pushed me all season because I knew he’d be the guy I’d see if I made it to regionals.”

Garcia became the first Avon Grove wrestler since Nick Piotrowski in 2002 to qualify for states, and the first-ever to reach the 3A regional finals.

“It was happiness and relief to finally get where I wanted to go,” Garcia said. “I have to push through one more week and hopefully get on the podium next week.”

Ruhnke has stayed relatively under the radar all season, and he was an underdog to reach states, let alone the regional finals. But against Quakertown’s Tyler Seislove in the semifinals, Ruhnke used a reversal and an escape to win, 3-2.

“It means a lot,” Ruhnke said. “This is one of the big goals as a wrestler, to get to Hershey.”

In the finals the Great Valley junior ran into a buzzsaw in Council Rock North’s John Dutrow. The 36-0 senior was too refined and sent Ruhnke to Chocolatetown the region’s two-seed, 9-0.

“I would’ve like to compete better and given a closer match,” Ruhnke said. “The other matches were good and I won some close matches, but I didn’t like the outcome in the finals. I’ll work all week to change it.”

Kerin and Snodgrass qualified the hard way. In the semifinals, Kerin could find no offense against Academy Park’s Abner Thompson, and dropped a 5-3 decision in overtime. He came back to beat Ridley’s Dan Sauselein, 7-2, and then Boyertown’s Cody Richmond, 5-3, in the consi finals.

“It was more just fun, and more excitement,” Kerin said. “Thinking back on how hard I’ve trained to get where I’m at. I was reminiscing in the moment and remembering all the work I did to get there.”

Snodgrass lost in the championship quarterfinals Friday night, but pulled off three wins Saturday. The first two came by pin, and in the consi final, against Great Valley’s Dean Lang, who had upset Interboro’s Matt Gould, Snodgrass used a third-period takedown to break a 1-1 tie and won, 3-1.

“It’s a surreal experience,” said Snodgrass, grasping for words. “It’s amazing. Just amazing.”